


How You Love Him

by ManiasNotebook



Series: 12 Days of Fictmas 2020 [2]
Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms
Genre: Established Relationship, F/M, Fluff, Happy Ending, Light Angst, M/M, gender neutral reader
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-09
Updated: 2021-03-09
Packaged: 2021-03-16 01:06:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,588
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29942163
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ManiasNotebook/pseuds/ManiasNotebook
Summary: You miss him. You miss him every day of your life- even when he’s right in front of you. You can never stop missing him. And you will never stop missing the way he makes you feel.
Relationships: Link (Legend of Zelda) & Reader, Link (Legend of Zelda)/Reader, Link (Legend of Zelda)/You, Link/You
Series: 12 Days of Fictmas 2020 [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2202048
Comments: 2
Kudos: 16





	How You Love Him

You know that look on his face all too well.

The two of you go through the same routine all time. He’s called to arms. He takes you somewhere nice to break the news. It’s always someplace beautiful. Someplace that you’ve never seen before, and you can’t help but stare in awe at the landscape around you, wishing the moment can last forever. 

That’s when he sits you down. That’s when he takes your hands and squeezes them as if he’ll never let go. That’s when you know he’s going away. That’s when you know the Hero’s Burden is cruel and unforgiving for everyone- him and those he has to leave behind. It’s not fair. Not to you and certainly not to him. 

But you can’t help it. He’s still there in front of you, but your heart already aches for him. It remembers the pain of his absences. So you cry. And when you’re done crying, you cry some more. You cry and you cry, and you cry because you know the reality of his work. There’s no guarantee. Not even when he takes you into his arms and kisses you sweetly, promising to come back to you safely do you let yourself be lulled into a false sense of security. As capable as he is, the world is still cruel. 

And all too soon He’s gone- off to do goddesses know what and save the world time after time. One selfless act after another. Praise him, hate him. Love him, raze him. He fights for the protection and the safety of all things good. It’s a life chosen for him- but a life he proudly navigates. Never resting, not relenting- not until he’s done his duty. Only then can return home where he sweeps you into his arms and kisses you once for every painful day of separation. And then a couple more… for good measure. This is how things have always been.

You’ve never been to this lake before.

“It’s pretty,” You whisper, but you’re not looking at the scenery anymore. You’re staring right at him, meeting his gaze. 

Pretty was such a pale word to describe the sight before you. It’s a beautifully frozen lake with the surface a pale blue. Delicate, fragile, and _oh so_ _majestic._ It was like you were constantly being tempted- tempted to step forward and onto the ice just to see if it’ll hold your weight. Just to see if you could break the silence of the snow-covered landscape.

Surrounding the lake was a thicket of trees and bushes, each blanketed in white. Even so, the area is still lush and full, and healthy. The greenery of your home has long since faded from your memory, but you know it will return soon enough. For now, snow-covered forestry and frozen grounds are all you’ll experience. Lands too cold for harvest and cuddles by the fire pit every single night. It was a clear indication that the changing in seasons had long since passed. Winter has settled in and has had itself known in the form of frostbitten toes and boundless shivers. 

It’s more than pretty. It’s beyond words. But you stubbornly won’t admit it. Not when the thought of him leaving burns heavy in your heart as a possibility. 

And Link can read that all too well.

“Pretty?” He prompts, the corner of his mouth tugging upwards. He knows that you’re holding out on him. He knows you too well. You’re too distracted to even correct yourself. You’re too focused on his expression instead. The sight makes you frown. It’s not his usual sympathetic frowns when he announces that he’s leaving. Nor it is the same forlorn look in his eyes. There’s a trace of mirth- almost as if he’s amused at your childish antics. But it’s all too confusing. _He’s_ too confusing- especially when he looks at you like that. 

It’s that studying gaze of his. The intensity of his smoldering blue eyes takes in every little detail of you. It’s that fondness for you that reaches out from his spirit. It’s the same fondness that you’ve come to know is most potent when he’s about to leave. It’s like he’s memorizing you. Your heart, your soul, your body, your mind, your voice, and more than you could ever know. Memorizing you so that he always carries you with him in his heart- the safest place he knows. 

Capturing that memory and desperately holding on to it so that even in the darkest of nights- he still can see the light.

_Your light._

And that’s what gets you. These moments are _never_ happy. _Never._

And you know that because you memorize him too.

_So why does he smile as if he’s the happiest man in the world?_ You wonder. _Why does he smile as if he’s not about to leave me?_

You turn your head away and sigh dejectedly. You could only imagine how beautiful this area must look in full bloom. All its lush colors and adorable animals. All its new beginnings as young eyes open up to a new and enchanting world. The very thought makes you long for spring. It makes you long for your boyfriend too- even though he’s right in front of you.

Link releases a sigh of his own.

“You know I have to leave, right?” He asks softly, and you can’t help but slowly nod your head. Of course, you do. It’s his duty, and you can never hold it against him. But it had only been days since his last return. It had only been days since you had gotten him back and nursed him back to health. Only mere hours ago did you finally have him- your oh-so brave and glorious hero all to yourself. But you’re selfish. You’ve always been selfish. And that’s because you missed him.

You missed him. A sniffle escapes your throat as you feel your eyes start to water. You missed him more than words could ever know. You missed him during the nights where you were alone. You missed him in the mornings where you were surrounded by crowds. You missed him on the most beautiful of days and the ugliest of them too. You missed him. on the days that were too cold and on the days that were too hot as well- because nothing felt just right without him here. You missed him when you were happy, and you especially missed him when you’re sad. You missed him by the stables, longing to see the day where you could see him care for the local horses with a content smile. You missed him when you saw children, longing for the day where you could have your own. You missed him by the rivers and lakes where he would spend his time fishing, only to fall asleep at the line. You missed like the sun misses the moon- only reuniting for the briefest of moments before facing the cruelty of severance once more and for forever. 

Because goddesses- you missed him. The tears are free-falling down your cheeks now. Trailing down your face in messy, watery blobs that burn against your cold skin. You _missed_ him. And you still miss him. He’s right here in front of you, and you miss every single part of him just because you love him so much it hurts. It hurts and hurts and hurts and hurts because you’ll never stop. You’ll never stop missing him. You’ll never stop loving him, and you’ll never stop missing him even when it hurts. Because you-

“You know you have to come with me, right?”

_What?_

He’s reaching towards you, bright blonde hair shining as he steps closer and closer until he’s right in front of you. He’s only breaths away from your shaking figure as his hand moves to dry your tears. He’s slow and gentle and moves with absolute precision as fingers swipe away your tears. It’s as if he was taking care of the most important treasure in the world. You appreciate the fragility he sees in you at the moment because it’s what you honestly feel. One wrong move and you feel that your heart could burst into pieces. 

_Come… with him? What does that mean?_

You look up at him, a puzzled look set forth on your glasses eyes. His hands cup your cheeks and, you lean in his touch- close your eyes, and you wish for a day that you never have to leave his arms. Never say a word and never have to think of anything but the peace you feel in this moment. But you can’t. Because his next few words disrupt any inkling of peace you could ever hope to have in just a few short sentences:

“Princess Zelda invited us to the royal winter banquet.” He speaks gently, afraid to shake the silence. But his eyes- they hold the same passion and fondness for you that you’ve always known. It’s lovely. _He_ ’s so lovely, and- “She wanted to formally meet my fiancé.”

_Your…_

_Fiancé …_

_…?_

But before the question can even pass through your lips, his hands leave your cheeks as your eyes shoot open. 

And in the purity that is the freshly snow-covered ground, all you can see is him.

All you can see is your hero…

…down on one knee.

“Now… is a pretty lake good enough for a proposal…? Or should I take you somewhere that can only envy your beauty?”

_Goddesses, how you love him._


End file.
